Happy New Year, everyone! Hope your 2023 is off to a great start.
Between reading and listening to audiobooks, I consumed 92 books last year (plus a smattering of collected comics). As 2023, begins the first Top Ten Tuesday of the new year (hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl) asks what were your favorite books from last year.
I’m breaking my list into two — my favorites and those books that disappointed me.
My favorites:
- Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
- Breaking Open by Jacob Armstrong
- The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward
- Something to Hide by Elizabeth George
- The Not So Nice List by Sally Kilpatrick
- We Are Inevitable by Gayle Forman
- Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel
- Star Wars: Brotherhood by Michel Chen
- Book Lovers by Emily Henry
- Desert Star by Michael Connell
Top Disappointments of 2022
- Normal People by Sally Rooney
- Rated X by Maitland Ward
- Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
- Run Rose Run by Dolly Parton & James Patterson
- Tell Me Lies by Carola Lovering
- Verity by Collen Hoover
- Daughter by Kate McLaughlin
- The Club by Ellery Lloyd
Nashville Book Worm 
#1 is on my TBR. Glad to see it made your list.
I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. It just hit me in all the right places.
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow has popped up on several lists this week. It sounds interesting!
My post: https://lydiaschoch.com/top-ten-tuesday-favorite-books-of-2022/
It was neck and neck between Tomorrow, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow and Breaking Open. Both were books that connected with me emotionally at a time last year I needed them to.
It was neck and neck between Tomorrow, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow and Breaking Open. Both were books that connected with me emotionally at a time last year I needed them to.
Great list! I think I might be the only person who didn’t love Tomorrow, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow! But I did love Book Lovers.
I have noticed Lessons in Chemistry on several lists and it wasn’t one that I loved. So I understand how you feel on Tomorrow, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow.
I still have to read Lessons in Chemistry – it seems like one of those books that people either love or hate.
I found the first third charming and witty. But as it went along, I found myself taken out of the book by a lot of things and details. I see so many others loving it. Just wasn’t for me.
That makes sense. Not everyone is going to love all the books!
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow was such a good book. It just missed out on my list. It was a very intense read!
I read it during a rough stretch last year and it just hit me in all the right ways.
What disappointed you in Lessons in Chemistry? I loved it. I want to read Tomorrow, Tomorrow, Tomorrow. Soon, I hope.
The earlier determination, gumption, and defying the system that Elizabeth shows early on felt authentic, but the longer the book went, it felt more like she was always right and everyone else was always wrong — and not in a good way.
I have heard great things about Tomorrow, Tomorrow, Tomorrow.
I highly recommend it.
BOOK LOVERS has been on so many lists this week! I think I need to read it. Stat.
Happy TTT!
Susan
http://www.blogginboutbooks.com
If you like Emily Henry’s previous rom-com books, Book Lovers should be a good read too. 🙂
Nice list. I like that you added the disappointments too. I have Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow on my TBR and can’t wait to get to it.
I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
The Last House on Needless Street and Sea of Tranquility are favorites of mine. And I need to read Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow this year for sure😁
If I can only convince you to read one book this year, that’s the one. Well, maybe Breaking Open as well.
Lessons in Chemistry was my most disappointing book last year, it’s sounded so good.
As I said above, Elizabeth goes from sympathetic to a bit insufferable the longer the book goes along. I get that she has to be stubborn in order to work in the system of the time depicted. But it felt like the longer I read, it became she’s always right and the world is always wrong.
I’ve not read any of these, but glad you enjoyed the ones you did and shame about the ones that disappointed you. I was fairly lucky with my reads this year, there were only three that I would count as real disappointments.
My TTT: https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2023/01/03/top-ten-tuesday-401/
Yes, Sea of Tranquility was excellent. Thanks for sharing!
Check out my TTT and my 2022 End of Year Book Survey.
I enjoyed Book Lovers, too, but it just didn’t make my top books. I was quite surprised since Henry always tops my favorites. So many others are on my tbr. I didn’t enjoy Normal People until I saw the adaptation, and then it brought the book more to life! Congrats on a great reading year, and happy reading in 2023!
I think part of my lack of connection with Normal People was hearing the praises and having expectations set too high. I may try the adaptation at some point.
I added the Tomorrow book to my TBR because it’s been on tons of lists this month. I’m glad you enjoyed it.